Sustainability Watch 2006 Report Implementation Barriers to Sustainable Development

1. Sustainability Watch 2006 Report Implementation Barriers to Sustainable Development A Civil Society Assessment in 15 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America

2. National reports were produced by 15 national CSO networks: • Asia: • Indonesia (Indonesian Peoples Forum) • Nepal (Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists) • Philippines Sustainability Watch • Vietnam (Vietnam NGO Network)

3. Africa: • Kenya Sustainability Watch Coalition • Mozambique (ABIODES) • South Africa (EMG and EJNF network) • Tanzania (NGO Coalition) • Togo (Les Amis de la Terre) • Uganda (NGO Coalition) • Zimbabwe (Zero)

4. Latin America: • Bolivia (Lidema coalition and 5 networks in ABDES) • Nicaragua (Centro Humboldt) • Guatemala (Fundacion Solar) • Regional Peasant Network in Central America • (ACICAFOC)

5. Why Sustainability Watch network? • Mainly Northern NGO voices are heard within international institutions • This networks aim to organize and structure better the voice of Southern NGO/CSO networks working on the ground in Asia, Africa and Latin America

6. From international/national regulations and declarations (UN summits of the 90s) • Toward -> a decade of constructive pressure for implementation of all the commitments from Johannesburg • A global advocacy tool available to civil society is the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) with its time-bound indicators year 2015

7. MDG 7: Environmental Sustainability Target 9: Integrate National SusDev Policy & Reverse Biodiversity Loss What's the FOCUS? • IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS IN SUSDEV • Inter-linkages between MDG 7 with 8 and 1 • Push for the“MDG Plus” Targets to be adopted • The “Global Deal” – More ODA from the North… Good Governance in the South! MDG 8: Global Partnership MDG 1: Poverty Reduction Good Governance Increase in ODA Fairer Trade (Market Access for the South), Food Sovereignty/ Food Security Pro-Poor Natural resource management

8. And we remember the “ MDG Plus” from • the 2002 WSSD Summit: • Reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2010 • Maintain or restore depleted fish stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield by 2015 • Establish a representative network of marine protected areas by 2012 • Increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy supply, and provide 35% of African households with modern energy within 20 years • Phase out, by 2020, production and use of chemicals that harm health and environment.

9. The 15 national reports aimed at assessing: • Particular emphasis was put on the implementation of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation – • with particular emphasis on MDG 7, MDG 1 and MDG 8 (governance) as a way to measure the realisation of sustainable development. • The international report digests the 15 national reports and provides insights for overcoming barriers of implementation.

10. Main findings: • Notwithstanding the diversity of context and cultures in the 15 countries, each report states that sustainable development has not been effectively implemented at the national level. • Regardless of the commitments countries have made by signing numerous international agreements - Sustainable Development remains an abstract concept. • Follows 6 main findings regarding implementation barriers for the implementation of sustainable development commitments.

11. Barrier no. 1: Weak monitoring of MDG 7 (environmental sustainability – and weak indicators: • Except Costa Rica, the MDG country reports on MDG 7 are generally weak (except on water target) • “Box thinking” taken the MDG goals separately, and not interlinked, e.g. MDG 7 and MDG 1. • Togo. The statistical data used by government is questionable, given that no recent national household surveys and census is available. • Bolivia: The MDG country report has not included target 9 (MDG 7), mainly selected targets where the country is performing well.

12. Recommendation 1: Strengthen the instruments for monitoring of MDG 7: • Join forces within the Poverty-Environmental Partnership (PEP) with WB, UNDP, UNEP, bilateral donors and international NGOs (WWF, IUCN, IIED, WRI etc.) • Increase PEP collaboration with Southern governments and civil society (including Sustainability Watch) • Suggest improvement of the MDG 7 (linkages to poverty, include MDG Plus etc.) • Strengthening participatory monitoring in the countries.

13. Barrier no. 2: Example: Market-oriented economic/trade development frameworks: • Indonesia : Privatization of public domain like the conversion of lands and rainforest into real estate, plantations etc. Also water privatization, mining industries. • Philippines : priority on infrastructure, policy to revitalize the mining industry with severe environmental impact

14. Barrier no. 2: Market-oriented economic/trade development frameworks: • Reluctance to challenge unfair trade liberalization regimes and to ensure investment in environmental protection • Blind on environmental constraints. Short term economic interests coming first; • Does not prioritize investing in environmental impacts of development processes • Lack of planning (implemented) for land and natural resources considering ecological limitations.

15. Recommendation 2: • Market-oriented economic/trade frameworks conducive to sustainable development • Shift from purely market-oriented valuation of natural resources by inputting by taking into considerations ecological and social costs; • Integration of economic growth, ecological sustainability (e.g. ecological carrying capacity) and social equity (e.g. human well-being, preservation of culture and heritage) in development planning • EU and US should considerable reduce agricultural and fishery subsidies and other contributions to obtain a pro-poor outcome of the Doho development round

16. Barrier no. 3: Example: Weak governance:: • Philippines : Lack of an effective government effort to overcome corruption (about 2 billion US dollars is lost annually) • Mozambique, Kenya: Wide-spread corruption • Guatemala: The Peace Agreement from 1996 still not implemented, particular Indigenous Peoples rights suffering.

17. Barrier no. 3: • Weak governance: • Inability to produce enough equitable economic development and social services to catch up with population growth; • Weak citizens participation and “check and balance” institutions • Manifested in outright corruption, weak public financial management and lack of accountability to citizens.

18. Recommendation 3: • Strengthen good governance through: • participatory policy making needed • civil society engagement, Rio Principle 10 • enforcement of rules and regulations, and • accountable and transparent institutions with promotion of anti-corruption measurements. 

19. Barrier no. 4: Example: Institutional constraints: • Indonesia : Weak environmental ministry which lacks capacity in term of human resources as well as regulatory functions. • Nepal and Philippines : Government’s lack of political will to achieve the MDG targets and implement sustainable development • Vietnam : Insufficient capacity of local officers in terms of information and training on the implementation of MDGs.

20. Barrier no. 4: • Institutional constraints: • Lack of fully functioning, coherent and decentralized/devolution strategies • Extensive civil society participation particularly at the community level not institutionalized. • Environmental ministries with low priority have not met the expectations from Rio 92. Low priority and not able to proper monitor and enforce the laws and regulations. • Weak cross-sectorial linkages, implying not emphasis on the interaction between poverty - environment – and good governance.

21. Recommendation 4: • Institutional reforms, including: • Ministry of Finance needs to be more involved in sustainable development policies, including the use of economic instruments • Government structures are strengthened, including cross-sectorial collaboration • The focus on the poverty-environment linkage is strengthened. • Demand that decisions by governments on sustainable development and MDG implementation represent views of all stakeholders.

22. Barrier no. 5: Example: Inconsistent policies • Indonesia : Government policies which are biased toward foreign investors which in turn are biased against environment • Nepal : Policies overlap and even contradict each other • Nicaragua: Conflicting agendas between the PRSP, the national economic development strategy and environmental regulation • Uganda: Military expenditures taking big part of public budget.

23. Barrier no. 5: • Inconsistent policies: • Insufficient political will • Sustainable development policies often contradicted by other policies • National laws on sustainable development not translated into operational policies on the ground (i.e. very few governments actually investing in environmental impact prevention and/or mitigation)

24. Recommendation 5: • Obtain consistent sustainability development policies through: • - Start an open process and consultative process among the stakeholders on the integration/mainstreaming of economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development • - Increased effort are put on “localizing MDGs” where CBOs, local governments are active stakeholders to take decisions, monitoring and implementing on the ground with increased transfer of national resources.

25. Barrier no. 6: Example: Inadequate financial resources demonstrated by: • Nepal : No adequate financial resources • Philippines : Public Debt take away scarce financial resources from social programs • Vietnam : Geographical locations of people in highlands and remote areas thus are difficult to reach in term of transportation • Uganda: Military expenditures taking big part of public budget.

26. Barrier no. 6: • Inadequate financial resources demonstrated by: • Low public and private investment in sustainable development. • Continuing imposition of some misguided conditionalities on ODA and loans (e.g. IMF) • Unsustainable debt burden that significantly constrains achievement of sustainable development objectives by developing countries

27. Recommendation 2: • Adequate financial resources needed for sustainable development • Increase spending in annual national budgets • NGOs need to make “budget tracing” of public expenditures • Local governments need more resources for “localizing MDGs” and empowering communities.

28. Key strategic Recommendations • Sustainable development is possible if governments seriously and urgently adopt national development strategies aimed at accelerating implementation of the MDG. • In the 2005 UN Summit, an agreement was reached – in section 22 - for all countries to come up with a 10-year action plan to achieve the MDGs by 2006! • It has a huge potential to get this 10-year MDG implementation plan, through overcoming the identified implementation barriers.

29. Recommendation • Donor Countries and international Institutions • should: • Support efforts by national governments and CSOs to design and adopt national strategies accelerating 2015 • Approach dialogue with governments on improvements in sustainable development and MDG implementation represent views of all stakeholders. • Provide for CSO monitoring component in programs, budget support, sector programme support, etc.

30. Thank You! • All reports and for more information • can be accessed at: • http://www.suswatch.org